ALLEN PARK,​​ Mich. — The Lions opened their final week of OTAs Monday by stretching, then splitting into position groups. The running backs jogged over nearest the media. Ameer Abdullah stayed behind on the far field with a small group of kick returners. This has been the norm through the Lions’ workouts this offseason — Abdullah splitting his time between offense and special teams, with a slight lean toward the latter.

Whether the setup offers a hint toward Abdullah’s future in Detroit remains to be seen. The 2015 second-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract, in which he’s set to earn around $877,000 in base salary and count $1.3 million toward the cap. Should the Lions release or trade him at any point now, they would incur a paltry $321,000 cap penalty. (All contract numbers via OvertheCap.com.)

But more on all that in a bit.

For starters, we have to put the question on the table: Will Ameer Abdullah be on the Lions’ roster when the regular season opens on Sept. 10? The reasons for, and against, keeping him around:

Pro: He’s been an effective back before

It might be hard to recognize that given how last season played out, but it’s true. What in hindsight was Detroit’s most impressive win of 2017 — a 14-7 victory at Minnesota — came mainly on the strength of the defense and Abdullah’s efforts (20 carries for 94 yards and a TD). Had he not suffered a minor ankle injury in the fourth quarter, Abdullah likely would have snapped the Lions’ humiliating 100-yard rushing drought, which dates back to 2013.

“To have that kind of defense and have the success we had running the ball consistently,” Abdullah said after the game, “…we can take that and we can learn from it. But we know the standard is set.”

Of course, the Lions never really repeated the formula the rest of the year. Their commitment to the run game this offseason, though, points toward a stronger commitment in 2018.

Abdullah found slightly more sustained success during his rookie season of 2015, when he averaged 4.2 yards per carry on 143 attempts and caught 25 balls. He then opened ’16 posting a 5.6 per-carry clip over Week 1 and part of Week 2, before a Lisfranc injury ended his season. General manager Bob Quinn said that Abdullah was “still kind of working through” that injury to open last year.

If Abdullah is now 100 percent, as he appears to be so far, the baseline for him ought to be his 2015 performance, not his 2017 letdown.

Con: There’s nowhere to play him (on offense)

When Abdullah did join the backfield group at OTAs or minicamp, it typically was for 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 work. In those spots, he wedged into the rotation as the backup to Theo Riddick — the second option when the Lions practiced their passing-down situations.

Last season, Riddick accounted for 137 touches (84 rushes, 53 receptions), and he probably should have had even more opportunities as a pass catcher. At the least, Detroit will want him on the field for most of those tricky third-down spots. And if not him, then offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter probably will opt for a blocking-back/fullback. Think Zach Zenner, Dwayne Washington or Nick Bellore, depending on which names from that group make the roster.

Of the 190 touches Abdullah compiled last season, just four (two rushes, two receptions) came on third down. (Numbers via Pro Football Reference.) Despite catching 25 passes each in 2015 and ’17, Abdullah has yet to crack the rotation on passing downs. With Riddick back, the odds are very much against him doing so this year.

So, if LeGarrette Blount and Kerryon Johnson are set to share the bulk of the carries, and Riddick and/or an extra blocker will be in on difficult down-and-distance spots, what does that leave Abdullah? Well …

Pro: He can return kicks

Herein lies the intrigue over Abdullah’s role on special teams. In general, he doesn’t offer as much there as, say, Zenner, who can slot in on all kick or punt situations. However …

Those are the Lions’ primary kick returners last season (Zenner being a bit on the fringe, because he fielded kicks as an up back). And, again, if we tick back to 2015, Abdullah was even better — he led the league in kick-return yards with 1,077, with an average of 29.1. Among all Lions return men with at least 20 attempts in a single season, that is a franchise record, ranking ahead of the best showings from standout returners like Mel Gray (28.4) and Hall of Famer Lem Barney (26.8).

For as electrifying as Agnew was as a punt returner last year, the Lions never fully committed to him as their kick returner. Some of that had to do with the knee injury he suffered in mid-November, but not all.

Two key developments with Agnew during the Lions’ May and June workouts: 1) He’s often been the first-team slot defender thus far, with Quandre Diggs and Glover Quin pairing at safety in the absence of a limited Tavon Wilson; and 2) He tweaked his hamstring on the final day of mandatory minicamp last week, which reduced his output at Monday’s OTA. A slight muscle pull at this time of year is not uncommon, but it — on top of his ’17 injury — could encourage the Lions to dial back his reps where possible. If he does indeed emerge as a starting slot and remain in the punt-return role, Matt Patricia’s staff might prefer to keep him off kickoff duties.

In that case, if there is a better option than Abdullah, the Lions will have to spend the preseason finding it.

Con: The first Minnesota game aside, 2017 was a mess

Blame the offensive line and play calling, too, but Abdullah never found his footing last season. After rushing for 86 yards vs. the Giants in Week 2 and then the 94-yard showing vs. Minnesota, he never again topped 54 yards in a single game. That, despite receiving double-digit carries in six additional games.

All told, Abdullah toted the rock 165 times in ’17, making him one of 16 backs to receive between 150 and 200 carries for the year. His 552 yards were second-lowest among the group; his 3.3 yards per attempt, lowest.

Take note of LeGarrette Blount’s place on that list, with the fourth-most yards. He handled 173 of the Eagles’ 473 total rushing attempts, averaging 4.4 yards per attempt. Put him in the ballpark for a similar workload, add another 100-plus touches each for Johnson and Riddick, and we’re back to the issue of Abdullah’s usage.

As in, there wouldn’t be much.

Nor did Abdullah do anything beyond Week 4 last season to force the Lions’ hand. Quinn didn’t draft him, Patricia doesn’t have any loyalty to him as a starter, and there’s not much tying him to the projected game plan.

Pro: He might be able to elevate his value

This is more of a preseason check mark for Abdullah than a regular-season one, but it’s relevant nonetheless. Were the Lions to bail on Abdullah in the coming weeks, they’d be doing so when he was at close to his lowest possible value. Maybe they could pluck a conditional sixth- or seventh-round pick from a team hit by backfield injuries. More likely is that they would have to cut Abdullah with no return.

Should he show well during August and September, however, the Lions might be able to move him for something of value. Abdullah has two extra opportunities to prove his worth, thanks to Detroit scheduling joint practices against Oakland and the New York Giants.

Right now, Quinn would be looking at a cut-and-forget-him situation. The tone could change if Abdullah plays well during training camp and the preseason. Detroit extending Abdullah’s contract beyond this season is a long shot, so acquiring draft capital or a player in return is a decent end game.

Con: He wouldn’t cost much to send packing

As mentioned earlier, Abdullah’s cap hit sits at about $1.3 million for the season. Cutting him now would save the Lions a touch over $1 million. They have some money to spend or carry over into 2018 — currently, $9,166,585 available, per the NFLPA’s public salary cap report — but it amounts to little more than spare change in the NFL world.

At least one — and possibly two — of Abdullah, Zenner and Washington will not make the roster. Zenner’s cap savings would check in at $925,000 (with no dead money); Washington at $630,000 (with about $19,000 in dead money).

The flip side? It wouldn’t cost much to hang onto an experienced, relatively versatile back. There is not enough of a drop-off from Abdullah’s price tag to those of Zenner and Washington to justify Abdullah’s roster spot on a financial basis.

Thus ends the State of the Abdullah address, so what say you? Should the Lions give their talented but underperforming back one more shot to make an impact, either in the run game or on special teams? Or would Abdullah’s roster spot be better served going to Zenner, Washington, Bellore, or an extra body elsewhere on the field?

(Top photo: Mike DiNovo/USA TODAY Sports)

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Chris Burke covers the Lions and the NFL draft for The Athletic Detroit. Previously, he spent six years as a national NFL writer for Sports Illustrated and before that, NFL editor for AOL's FanHouse.com. He also hosted the "On the Clock" NFL draft podcast. Follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisBurkeNFL.